The present invention relates to an input machine for inputting informations into associated apparatuses by selecting a desired item among a plurality of items printed on tapes or films and designating an address, which corresponds to the selected item, among a plurality of addresses stored in a memory in an input equipment, thereby generating an output signal regarding the information corresponding to the desired item. More particularly, the present invention relates to an item selecting apparatus used with such input machine and the like for driving films to quickly select and accurately position a desired item printed on the associated film in a predetermined position.
A conventional codeless input machine 4 (FIG. 1) comprises an input unit 1 and a film 2 on which a number of items 3 are printed in matrix pattern. Each item printed on the film corresponds to a respective information to be inputted. All of the items printed on the film are grouped into a plurality of pages 5 having a lengthwise dimension B equal to that of the input unit, a transverse dimension of each page corresponding to the width of the film. In order to position a desired item 3 on the input unit 1 for inputting the information corresponding to the desired item, film can be moved by means of an appropriate film feeding device (not shown) incorporated into the input machine in both directions indicated by an arrow A such that the page 5 including the desired item 3 is aligned with the input unit 1. When the desired item 3 is energized by a pen-touch or key-push operation, a corresponding input signal is generated; said input signal selecting or designating a corresponding address among a plurality of addresses stored in a memory (not shown) through the medium of a control portion (not shown) in the input unit 1, thereby generating an output signal regarding the information corresponding to the desired item. When a new item to be inputted next is not included in the present page, the film must be moved to position a new page including said new item on the input unit 1.
In this conventional input machine, since the movement of the film is effected per "page", when the lengthwise dimension of the page is B and the moving speed of the film is V, it takes at least a time of B/V for changing a page from one to the next one. Particularly, if the first page is changed to the last page, when the total number of pages is N, it takes a long time of B/V (N-1). Accordingly, this conventional input machine has a disadvantage of time consumption for changing pages with the result that efficiency of inputting operation is reduced.
By increasing the moving speed of the film, the above drawback of the conventional input machine can be more or less eliminated. However, in this case, there exists another drawback that it is difficult to accurately stop a desired page of the film in a predetermined position on the input unit.